Understanding Minimum Wage Setting Drivers Across 201 Countries

Abstract

As part of a webinar series, this presentation was done on January 15, 2021. The webinar on the Labour Rights Index and WageIndicator's Minimum Wage Database discussed two major indices developed by the WageIndicator Foundation: the Minimum Wages Database (196 countries) and the Labour Rights Index (115 countries).

The Labour Rights Index looks at every aspect of the working lifespan of a worker and identifies the presence of labour rights, or the lack of it, in national legal systems worldwide. It covers 10 indicators and 46 evaluation criteria. The Minimum Wages Database is the most updated and comprehensive database on statutory minimum wages worldwide.

The webinar brings together Index makers and users, especially those who are building similar indices on labour market issues. The panelists and speakers come not only from multilateral organisations like ILO, World Bank but also academia like University of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Global Labour University network and Trade Union bodies like ITUC and Worker Rights Consortium. The seminar is equally useful for policy makers who wish to know best practices in labour legislation and minimum wage setting.

The presentation on Minimum Wage setting in 201 countries discussed what an effective minimum wage is how effective minimum wages are and how complex the rate can be, how often countries update their minimum wages and how they differentiate the minimum wage rates.